A bomb went off Sunday morning on a railroad in central Israel as a train passed over. One person, the driver of the train, was lightly injured.

The explosion took place in the area of Yavneh town, located south of Tel Aviv. Police said the bomb was detonated by remote control. They also said that the tracks had been checked early in the morning as part of a routine daily security check, but that the explosive device had not been found.

The armed wing of Hamas has claimed responsibility for the train bomb attack.

Exactly three weeks ago, a similar incident took place on the railroad near the city of Lod.

PA, Islamic group in talks

The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) held talks with representatives of Islamic groups in an effort to convince them to stop suicide bombing attacks against Israeli targets, Palestinian officials told news agencies Saturday.

According to the reports, there were talks between representatives of PNA and that of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Palestinian sources had said earlier last week that newly-appointed Minister of Interior, Abdel Razaq Al Yehya and Planning and International Cooperation Minister Nabil Shaath met with leaders from Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

The sources said that the meeting aimed at issuing a joint "document of honor" that would arrange the relationship between them in the future, adding that both sides had agreed on unifying efforts to confront the Israeli occupation.

From the PA side, reaching an agreement with Islamic groups on stopping suicide bombing attacks will force Israel to withdraw from Palestinian cities. "The meetings were very positive," one PA official was quoted. "But it would be hard for the Palestinian National Authority to reach a deal to stop bombing attacks as long as Israel keeps carrying out its military operations against the Palestinian people."

Meanwhile, Hamas officials said that meetings with the PNA officials were not more than exchanging views on the current situation, adding that each side was looking for the way on how to serve the national Palestinian interests.

Hamas spokesman in Gaza Ismaeel Abu Shanab told Xinhua that Hamas had given a document to the Palestinian officials saying that Hamas would be ready to stop bombing attacks "in case Israel withdraws its forces back to the 1967 borders." (Albawaba.com)